Assessing the Kurdish Question: What is the Future of Kurdistan?

Abstract

The Kurds, with an estimated population of 25 to 28 million people, are arguably the largest nation in the world without its own independent state. The Kurdish population spreads into four countries in an area referred to as "Kurdistan." Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003, the first free elections in Iraq were held in January 2005, the Iraqi constitution was passed in a referendum in October 2005, and successful elections were held in December 2005. The Kurds are now wielding more political influence over the future of Iraq and the future of Iraqi Kurdistan. The Iraqi Kurds in Northern Iraq have prospered in a semiautonomous region since 1991, under the creation of the United Nations-sponsored "safe haven" that is enforced by the United States' and United Kingdom's no-fly zone. The Iraqi Kurds have been able to institutionalize self-rule in Northern Iraq through the Kurdistan regional government. These events have given rise to Kurdish expectations of independence; or at a minimum a federalist Iraq. United States foreign policy can no longer ignore the Kurdish question as it applies to the Middle East and to U.S. creditability on the world stage. This paper analyzes U.S. policy towards the Kurds in the future Iraq. Can Iraq unite with a power-sharing agreement between Arab Shiites, Arab Sunnis, and Kurds? If Iraq cannot become united, can a peaceful separation be achieved that will maintain stability in the region? How should U.S. foreign policy proceed? The recent referendum on the Iraqi constitution established regional control for the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan. The passing of the Iraqi constitution also established that oil and gas belong to all of the people of Iraq and revenues would be equally shared by regions. A continuing territorial dispute between Iraqi Kurdistan and Arab Iraq over the area in and around the oil rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq may be at the crux of a stable Iraq.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 06, 2006
Accession Number
ADA448513

Entities

People

  • Mark A. Dewhurst

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Demography
  • Education
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Foreign Policy
  • Governments
  • Insurgency
  • Kurds
  • Minority Groups
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Political Parties
  • Security
  • Terrorists
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.